Cartridge belt for automatic firearms



Nov. 26, 1194 H. A. FAULKNER HAL 2 222,812

CARTRIDGE BELT FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Filed May 13, 1939 Fig. 2. Fig. 1 -9 V8 l 3 I mun (0 5 19. HENRY A. FAULKRER ROGER D WACKRUN By 1mm Altorngg I form of intermittent feed mechanism, and peradapted to lie within the aforesaid outer clip her or reinforcement of same. sembled and connected by cartridges, and Figure I e .35 The object of the invention is to provide a represents in dottedlin-es one unit detached 35 construction and arrangement of cartridge belt or disintegrated. clip of the aforesaid kind wherein the hinged Figures 6 and 7 show respectively a plan View clips,-or one or more clips located between secand a side elevation of the cartridge belt. tions of a length of cartridge belt of the aforesaid According to one convenient mode of carry- 40 kind, are adapted to disintegrate when a caring the invention into practical effect, we provide 40 tridge is removed therefrom' a cartridge belt clip which is formed in two parts ,Patented Nov. 26,1940 I g 2,222,812

' Q.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARTRIDGE BELTifiZUTOMATIC FIRE- I Henry Alexander Faulkner, Shirley, and Roger David Wackrow, Birmingham, England, assignors to The Birmingham Small Arms GompanyLimited, Birmingham, England, a British company Application May 13, 1939, Serial No. 273,570 In Great Britain May 20, 1938 5 Claims. (CI. 89-35) This invention relates to cartridge belts for part which forms a joint lug and also embraces automatic firearms, of the kind in which the the said inner part and is further arranged to belt is adapted to carry the cartridges laterally surround about two thirds of the circumference into the feed box of the firearm by any suitable of the cartridge, and an inner clip member mit of the cartridges being moved in an axial member and surround about one third of the direction into the breech chamber of the recircumference of the cartridge, 'said inner clip ciprocating breech block. member having formed thereon a pair of spaced The invention refers more particularly to carjoint lugs, and wherein the'aforesaid outer and tridge belts of the kind comprising clips proinner clip members are connected in pairs by 10 duced from sheet metal blanks, bent and shaped means of a joint pin engaging with the joint lugs to form a partlycylindrical body part on oppothereon. a site sides of which are formed joint lugs 'to re- Having set forth the characteristic features of ceive joint pins whereby the links are articulated our invention, we will now proceed to describe toform a continuous cartridge belt, the said the said invention with reference to the accombody part being arranged to partly embrace the panying drawing, in which: rear end of the cartridge which is held in the Figures 1 and 1 are respectively a side elevadesired assembled position by ribs formed in the tion and a plan view of a suitably shaped blank body part of the clip and arranged to engage from which the outer part of a cartridge .belt with the rim of a cartridge of the rim type, or a clip, constructed in accordance with this inven- 20 single rib arranged to engage with the annular tion,'is adapted to be produced.

groove'formed at the rear end of a rimless car- Figures 2 and 2 are respectively'a side eleva tridge. tion and a plan'view of a suitably shaped metal It has been previously proposed to provide a blank from which the inner part of the cartridge clip of the aforesaid kind produced from a sheet belt clip is adapted to be produced. 25 metal blank having a strip or extension on one Figures 3, 3 and 3 are respectively an end side thereof, the said blank being adapted to be elevation, a side elevation and a plan View ofthe bent and shaped to form the body part of the outer part of the clip. 7 clip with a pair of joint lugs on one side thereof, Figures 4, 4 and 4 are respectively a side elewhile the strip part or extension is adapted to vation, an end elevation and a plan view of the 30 be bent to form a joint lug on the opposite side inner part of the clipl of the clip, and also to be bent over the body part Figure 5 is an end elevation of a shortlen gth of the clip to form an outer strengthening memof cartridge belt, showing the two-part clips as- According to this invention we provide an imcomprising an outer clip member of partly cyproved construction of cartridge belt clip of the lindrical formation adapted to surround about aforesaid kind wherein the sections or members two thirds of the circumference of the cartridge,

are produced from sheet metal blanks, bent and and an inner clip member arranged to lie within 45 shaped to form a partly cylindrical body part-on the outer clip member and adapted to surround opposite sides of which are formed joint lugs to about one third of the circumference of the car-- receive joint pins whereby the links are articutridge. The outer clip member is produced-from lated, characterised inthat the clip is formed in a sheet metal blank, such as shown' in Figures two parts which are held assembled by the inser- 1 and 1 which is adapted to be bent and shaped;

tion of a cartridge, and disintegrated when the to form the said outer clip member, as seen in cartridge is withdrawn, comprising an outer clip Figures 3, 3 and 3 in which the part I of said member having an inner part of circular formablank is bent into a part circular formation tion arranged to embrace about one third of the which constitutes the inner. part 2 of the said circumference of the cartridge, and an outer out/er clip member and is arranged to embrace 5 about one third of the circumference of the cartridge, the narrow extension 3 on one side of the said blank being bent backward and arranged to form the joint lug i, while the wider extension 5 and a further narrower strip or extension 6 of the said blank are adapted to be bent over the inner part 2 and arranged to surround about two thirds of the cartridge.

The inner clip member, as seen in Figures 4, 4 and 4 is similarly produced from a sheet metal blank 1, such as shown in Figures 2 and 2 in which said blank is formed a transverse slot 8, and the metal at the opposite outer ends 9 of the said slot 8 is bent to form a pair of spaced joint lugs I0, while the other part of said blank is bent into a partly cylindrical formation which is adapted, when assembled in the outer clip member, to lie within the outer partly cylindrical portion 5 thereof with its inner transverse edge I I abutting against the transverse edge I! of the inner part 2 of the outer clip member, while the narrow strip part 6 of the said outer clip member is arranged to lie in the gap between the spaced joint lugs Hi formed on the inner clip member, thus providing a longitudinal support for the inner clip member when assembled within the outer clip member. An inner and an outer clip member are hingewise connected together by a joint pin it mounted in the spaced joint lug IQ of the inner clip member and passing through the interposed joint lug 4 of the outer clip member, and when an inner clip member has been assembled within an outer clip member in the manner as previously described, and a cartridge I4 is inserted, the said two parts are securely connected together and form a belt or chain of cartridges, as seen in Figures 5 to 7, ready for use in an automatic firearm, but in such member that when a cartridge is removed, the parts disintegrate and readily fall apart, as seen in dotted lines in Figure 5 At or near the rear ends of the partly cylindrical formations of the two-part clip arranged to embrace the cartridge M, are formed two internal ribs or projections I6 arranged to engage the rim [5 of the cartridge I4, as seen in Figure '7, to position same in the clip, or a single rib or projection may be provided for engagement with the usual groove in a rimless cartridge, when it is desired to adapt the clip for use with cartridges of that type. The front ends H of the aforesaid cylindrical formation of the two-part clip may be bent and shaped to support the cartridge and position same, as seen in Figure 7, so that the nose or bullet of the projectile is directed into the breech chamber of the gun.

On the front ends of the aforesaid cylindrical formations of the two-part clip are formed projections l8 and is arranged to engage with guides formed in the feed mechanism of the gun. Also, the front ends of the said cylindrical formations are suitably shaped to constitute an abutment which is adapted in known manner to support the clips and prevent longitudinal movement of same when the cartridges are being moved axially therefrom into the breech chamber of the gun.

If desired all of the clips comprising a complete cartridge belt may be of two-part formation as before described, adapted to disintegrate when the cartridges are removed therefrom, or if desired, a disintegrating clip may be located between sections made up of single clips, of the nondisintegrating type.

It will be readily understood that cartridge clips in accordance with this invention may be modified in shape for use with various types or sizes of cartridges to suit different firearms, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim is:

1. A cartridge belt for automatic firearms, comprising a clip formed in two parts which are adapted to be held assembled by the insertion of a cartridge and disintegrated when the cartridge is withdrawn, composed of an outer clip member having an inner part of partly cylindrical formation arranged to embrace about one third of the circumference of the cartridge, and an outer part which forms a joint lug and also embraces the aforesaid inner part and is further arranged to surround about two thirds of the circumference of the cartridge, an inner clip member adapted to lie within the aforesaid outer clip member and surround about one third of the circumference of the cartridge, said inner clip member having formed thereon a pair of spaced joint lugs, and joint pins for the belt engaging the joint lugs of the outer and inner clip members.

2. A cartridge belt for automatic firearms comprising a clip formed in two parts which are adapted to be held assembled by the insertion of a cartridge, and disintegrated when the cartridge is withdrawn, composed of an outer clip member made from a single piece of sheet metal bent to form an inner part of partly cylindrical formation which surrounds about one third of the circumference of the cartridge case, and an outer part which is arranged to form a joint lug and surround about two thirds of the cartridge case, an inner clip member made from a single piece of sheet metal slotted and bent to form a pair of spaced joint lugs and a partly cylindrical formation adapted to lie within the aforesaid outer clip member with its inner transverse edge abutting against the transverse edge of the inner part of the aforesaid outer clip member.

3. A cartridge belt for automatic firearms, as claimed in claim 2, including means for positioning the cartridge in the assembled two part clip comprising ribs or projections formed at or near the rear ends of the partly cylindrical formations, said ribs or projections being adapted to engage with the rim of a cartridge, or a groove in a rimless cartridge.

4. A cartridge belt for automatic firearms, as claimed in claim 2, including means for positioning the cartridge in the assembled two part clip comprising bent parts or depressions formed in the front ends of the partly cylindrical formations of said clip.

5. A cartridge belt for automatic firearms according to claim 2, including means for supporting and guiding the cartridge belt through the feed mechanism of the gun comprising projections formed in the front and the rear ends of the partly cylindrical formations of the two part clip.

HENRY ALEXANDER FAULKNER. ROGER DAVID WACKROW. 

